Research into tires the use of which permits a reduction in the energy consumption of the vehicle is today becoming increasingly important. Among the promising avenues being explored by tire manufacturers, one may cite the reduction in the rolling resistance of tires, in particular by the use of low-hysteresis materials, but also the reduction of the tire mass.
It has been proposed to reduce the mass of tires by reducing the material thicknesses and the densities of the reinforcing elements (use of textile cords) or the compounds, or by using reinforcing elements allowing to reduce certain volumes of compounds, for example at the level of the bead. Such solutions are discussed, for example, in patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,423 and in the documents mentioned in that document. Another way of reducing the mass of the tire consists in the overall reduction of its dimensions.
In spite of all the advances made in the course of recent years, there remains a major need for a further reduction in the rolling resistance of the tires while maintaining, or even improving, other performance characteristics such as their resistance to wear, their grip or their road behaviour. The present invention seeks to meet this need.